Riddles in the Dark
by Ic3-An93l
Summary: Hermione has just turned 16, the age where you should know everything about yourself... right? Wrong. Everything she'd known to be real was a lie. Hermione runs away, but reality finds her, and takes ber back to the life she missed... Please R 'n' R!
1. Sweet 16

Alright, yes, I'm supposed to be working on my other stories right now, but THIS story, THIS story is my baby so to speak. I actually have a plot with this one!!!!!  
  
Oh, and Cordelia Riddle – Seemingly Perfect, Mary Sue, BUT she may be pretty, she's also bitchy and an airhead. And the only reason boys want her is cause she's half veela, and she has that enchantment, and pretty much only dumb girls want to be her friend cause she's pretty...  
  
Yeah...  
  
So just sit back, relax, read and review.

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**_Riddles in the Dark_  
**  
**Chapter 1: Sweet 16**

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'Happy Birthday 'Mione!' Ellie Granger exclaimed, causing her daughter to blush.  
  
'Thanks mum... Dad...' Hermione rubbed her eyes and continued down the stairs.  
  
'Hurry! Open your presents!' Lee Granger pulled his waking daughter down the stairs, and into the lounge room.  
  
Hermione sat heavily on the leather lounge, and pulled the nearest gift toward her.   
  
As she opened the wrapping, a pure black owl flew in the window, and dropped a gift on her lap, wrapped in emerald green paper.  
  
Ellie and Lee turned to each other, with a look of knowing in their eyes.  
  
'You keep opening your gifts, 'Mione, we'll be back in a second...' Lee and Ellie retreated to the kitchen, and Hermione shrugged.  
  
'Whatever...' Hermione put the silver paper aside, and opened the box.  
  
'Oh... a hair care kit... with a hair straightener... Wow... Thanks mum!' Hermione tried to sound convincingly happy.  
  
She put the kit aside, and picked up the emerald green package.   
  
Gingerly tearing off the paper, Hermione found a dark green leather jewellery box.  
  
Carefully opening the box, inside, Hermione found a silver necklace with a ring pendant, and in that ring, was a silver snake with emerald eyes, charmed to slither around inside its ring.  
  
Hermione gasped.  
  
'It's beautiful!' she rumbled through the paper, searching for a card. Finding nothing, she sat, staring at it.  
  
Ellie and Lee returned, noticing Hermione staring at her hand.  
  
'What is it Mione?' Lee looked over his daughter's shoulder, and gasped.  
  
'Ellie... '  
  
'Hermione... excuse us again...' Lee and Ellie retracted back to the kitchen, and Hermione looked at them.  
  
'Oooh Kay...' Hermione shrugged and continued opening the gifts.  
  
The last one there was from her father, and inside the paper, Hermione found a bag of 100,000 galleons. She squealed happily, and ran upstairs, taking her gifts with her.

* * *

Hermione walked up to her wardrobe, and got out her 'nice' clothes. She put on her white pleated skirt and coloured jumper. She quickly ran a brush through her bushy hair, and grabbed the leather bag.   
  
Hermione ran downstairs to find her parents sitting on the lounge, with grave looks on their faces.  
  
'Mione... Sit down, there's something we need to tell you...' Lee Granger stated, indicating the armchair. Hermione gingerly sat down in the chair, and looked at her parents.  
  
'Hermione... we don't know quite how to tell you this... but...' Ellie started.  
  
'Sweetie... You're... You're not... ours...'  
  
'What?!'  
  
'Hermione... you... you were adopted...'  
  
'WHAT?!' Hermione jumped to her feet.  
  
'Why didn't you tell me?! Why did you lie to me for so long!' Hermione turned on heel and ran up to her room. She couldn't stay here... she couldn't... not with... them.  
  
Hermione packed her trunk with anything she thought she'd need, and she grabbed her galleons and the necklace.  
  
'Mione... wait!' Lee Granger exclaimed, watching his daughter haul her trunk downstairs.  
  
'Don't call me that!' Hermione spat, glaring at the two with pure loathing.  
  
'Thank you for taking care of me for these past 16 years... Goodbye...' and with that, Hermione left the Granger's lives forever.  
  
'She's gone...' Ellie Granger fell into her husband's arms, tears falling from her brown eyes.

* * *

'I can stay at the leaky cauldron till school goes back...' Hermione dragged her trunk down the street, and hailed a cab.  
  
'London...' Hermione looked out the window, for what she hoped was the last time she'd ever set eye on the house of Granger.  
  
Hermione lugged her trunk into the bar, and walked up to Tom.  
  
'I'd like a room until the 30th...'  
  
On Hermione's first day, she woke up to sunlight streaming through the window, and her curtains billowing in the cool wind.  
  
Hermione kicked off the covers, and sat up slowly, so as she looked out the window to the invisible street below.  
  
'Beautiful...'

* * *

Time passed quickly that last fortnight, and soon it was September 29th, the day before Hermione had to return to Hogwarts.  
  
Hermione was down at Florean Fortescues, buying herself a sundae, when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted two shoppers, one with messy black hair, and the other with the unmistakeable features of a Weasly.  
  
'Mione!' Ron ran up to the bushy haired girl, engulfing her in a hug.  
  
'Hi Ron! Harry!' the trio sat at a table, and the boys ordered Sundaes.  
  
'How've your holidays been?' Hermione asked the patiently waiting Ron.  
  
'Great! Harry and I have been at my house, planning pranks to play on the Slytherins! It's FANTASTIC!'  
  
'Oh...'  
  
'You Mione?'  
  
'Crap... Terrible... Shitty as all hell!'  
  
'Why?'  
  
'Cause... I'm adopted!'  
  
Hermione spat the last words, with a tone of pure loathing.  
  
'Oh Mione...'  
  
'By the way, Thank you for the necklace...' she forced a grin.  
  
'Necklace? What necklace?' Harry asked, leaning in.  
  
'You mean... someone ELSE gave me this?' Hermione withdrew the box, opening it to show the boys.  
  
'WOW! Hermione! That's gorgeous!'  
  
'Yeah...' her smile faltered.  
  
'Sorry Hermione! We totally forgot your birthday...' Harry mumbled.  
  
'Oh... excuse me...' Hermione got up, tears stinging her eyes. Hermione turned, and ran up to her room, where she fell on her bed, the dams of bitter tears breaking, and the waterfalls of sorrow running freely, cascading down her face.

* * *

When Hermione awoke, it was early afternoon, and immediately, she sprang up.  
  
Hastily dragging a brush through her hair, Hermione ran downstairs and out into diagon alley.  
  
Hermione quickly walked to the owl emporium and withdrew the leather pouch.  
  
She walked into the store, browsing at the owls, eventually stopping at the cage of an ebony black owl, and picking up the cage.  
  
'I'd like this one please...'  
  
'Good choice! This owl is a loyal one, and once you befriend it, it's better than any phoenix! It's a mixture, phoenix/snowy owl...I can give it to you for... say... 10 galleons...'  
  
'Alright!' Hermione handed over the money, and took the cage up to her room.  
  
'Welcome home... hmm... I'll call you... Phobos... yes... Phobos...'  
  
The black owl let a quiet, agreeing hoot out at this, and Hermione smiled.  
  
'Welcome home Phobos...'

* * *

That night, Hermione sat, looking at Phobos.   
  
She had been so lonely since Crookshanks ran away at the end of 5th year... she could never forgive Harry for that...  
  
_'Crookshanks would NEVER attack Hedwig!' Hermione exclaimed.  
  
'Oh yeah?! Then why is Hedwig so jumpy whenever she sees the cat? Or why does Crookshanks always give Hedwig the 'evil eye' ?!' Harry screeched  
  
'Hedwig is an OWL, a cat would be a predator for her, but...'  
  
'So you're admitting that Crookshanks would eat Hedwig if he got the chance?'  
  
'He never would! Crookshanks is TOO BLOODY FAT! Hedwig is a fast bird!'  
  
Harry stormed out, kicking Crookshanks as he left.  
  
'Asshole...' Hermione scooped the ginger cat into her arms, and hugged him tightly.  
  
After Hermione went to sleep that night, Harry snuck into her room, and took Crookshanks, stuffing him in a bag. The cat screeched, but Harry just whacked it over the head, and knocked the ginger tabby out.  
  
Creeping slowly up to moaning myrtle's bathroom, he opened the chamber of secrets and dropped the sack down there.  
  
Crookshanks was gone.  
_  
(A/N If I'm physically incorrect… Please notice the cup of care = (I'm sorry... due to the emptiness of the cup of care, it has disappeared...) :P)  
  
'It's in the past...' Hermione shook the memory from her mind. She curled up in bed, and quickly fell asleep, with the calming hoots released from her owl.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione quickly got up, and got dressed. Hermione put on some warm, casual clothes, her usual back to school gear.  
  
After adorning her Jeans and denim jacket, Hermione hauled her packed trunk, owl cage and bag of galleons downstairs, loading them into the car Tom arranged to take her to the station.  
  
'Thank you Tom!' Hermione waved and hopped into the ministry car, only to find Ginny and Mrs. Weasly already inside.  
  
'Hi Hermione! Here!' Ginny handed Hermione a wrapped package, which Hermione gratefully received.  
  
'Sorry I didn't owl it to you, but Ron wouldn't let me use Pig, and Errol is useless...' Ginny smiled, 'Open it!'  
  
'Thanks Gin...' Hermione tore off the paper, finding an emerald green leather bound diary, with silver gilding on the sides. (A/N subtle, subtle me!!!)  
  
'Thanks Ginny! Wow! It's beautiful!' Hermione hugged the girl, who smiled, and blushed.  
  
'That's ok...'

* * *

Eventually arriving at school from the long train ride, Hermione dismounted the train to find Parvarti and Lavender part of a crowd in front of one of the last carriages.  
  
'What's everyone looking at?' Hermione tapped Lavender on the shoulder.  
  
'The Riddle sisters! They've come to Hogwarts!' Parvarti explained in an excited whisper.  
  
'The Riddle sisters?'  
  
'Yeah! The eldest one, Cordelia is rumoured to be the prettiest witch in the WHOLE UNIVERSE!'  
  
'That's gotta be an exaggeration...'  
  
'No! Really... Here she comes now!'  
  
Hermione peered over the crowd and a tall, blonde girl exited the train. Pushing her sunglasses up (Cordelia pushed her sunglasses up), Hermione saw that Cordelia had grey eyes, and she was as pretty as everyone said.  
  
Hermione couldn't put her finger on when, but she'd seen this girl before... the pink streaks at the front of her hair gave it away...

* * *

That night, Hermione lay awake in bed, trying to remember where she had seen Cordelia and Louisa Riddle before... Not in a magazine, or the daily prophet... somewhere else... she'd seen the newly sorted Slytherin's... closer... more... personal...  
  
But Where...

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Ok… Tell me what you guys think!  
  
The review button's just below here…  
  
!c3 


	2. Memories

**_A/N Ok… not proud of this chapter… infact… it's pretty lame… but -shrugs- What am I gonna do about it?_**

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**Riddles in the Dark**

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**Chapter 2: Memories**  
  
'Hermione! Get up!' Lavender and Parvarti threw a pillow at the sleeping girl, who snorted, and sat up quickly.  
  
'What?!' she snapped irritably.  
  
'Jeeze!' Parvarti stormed out angrily.  
  
'Don't worry about her... Cordelia and Louisa Riddle came looking for you before, and Parvarti's annoyed that they didn't come to see her – the slut of Gryffindor...' Lavender grinned.  
  
'Oh... SHIT! I have potions in 15 minutes!' Hermione jumped out of bed and dressed quickly, lugging a brush through her honeycomb knot-filled hair.  
  
Swinging her bag over her shoulder, focused on getting to class on time, Hermione didn't hear Lavender's cries.  
  
'Hermione! Wait! We have 1 hour and 15 minutes before the first classes!! The clocks are fast to keep Parvarti in check! You know how behind time she gets when she's dating!'  
  
'Oh...' Hermione dropped her bag, 'Then in that case...' Hermione noticed the hair straightener on her desk.  
  
'Hmm...'  
  
'Hermione... you know what? I think you'd look good with ringlets!'  
  
'What?!' Hermione looked up at Lavender.  
  
'I saw the kit you got last night, and if you want, I could straighten and curl your hair!'  
  
'Oh... if it's not too much trouble...' Hermione sat heavily on her bed, and lavender grabbed the straightener.  
  
An hour later, Hermione Pei-Lin Granger sat in front of Lavender Brown with straight, smooth honeycomb hair.  
  
'Hmm... I don't think we need to curl your hair... you look great as is!'  
  
"Why is lavender being so nice to me??"  
  
'I don't understand it Hermione... for some reason lately you just seem... alluring...' Lavender shook her head and walked out.  
  
Hermione grinned and tossed her shoulder length hair over her shoulder.  
  
Maybe today wouldn't be so crap after all...

* * *

'Now... today we will be brewing veritaserum... this must be completed in 3 hours... you may begin... except... Ms. Riddle... you may help the students having achieved highest marks at your previous school...' Snape's lips curled as his eyes set down on the beautiful, blonde Cordelia.  
  
Cordelia's hand immediately moved to Draco's, but was then slapped away by Louisa.  
  
'Remember what father ordered...' she hissed.  
  
'Fine...' Cordelia got up and sat over by Hermione.  
  
'Yes?'  
  
'I'm here to help!' Hermione rolled her eyes, and got up to get the ingredients.  
  
Cordelia summoned a nail file, and set away at her French manicured nails.  
  
3 hours later, Hermione smiled as her potion simmered, a silvery vapour rising off the clear surface... no thanks to Cordelia.  
  
'There...' Hermione bottled a sample for marking.  
  
Cordelia looked up, brushing a few pink strands of hair out of her eyes.  
  
'You know... you remind me of a sister a lost when I was young...'  
  
'Oh Wow...' Hermione rolled her eyes sarcastically, before she looked down, and lost herself in the grey/blue eyes. 

_'Mione!' Cordelia swept down on the middle Riddle triplet, hugging her.  
  
'Mr. Ford visited me today! Guess what?!' a raven haired four year old, with a dark mauve fringe looked up from her astromagic text book.  
  
'What Cordy?' the grey-eyed girl looked at her bouncing blonde sister of the same age, who calmed and brushed her hot pink fringe out of her eyes.  
  
'He said that when I'm 16 I can be his lead Supermodel! Isn't that great?!'  
  
'Fantastic! Have you told mother?'  
  
'Nope... she's busy in the lab... working on a way to bring Dad back... I haven't got a key pass...'  
  
'Oh...' the four year old raven haired Mione's small hand clasped around a key card in her pocket.  
  
Quietly walking down the tiled hallway, Mione looked around the white walls, reading the embossed numbers.  
  
'32...33...ah... 34!' Mione swiped the card and pushed the door open.  
  
'Mum?'  
  
'Mione! I'm glad you're here! I can't get the viscosity of this emollition right!'  
  
'Oh... what's the alkalifiable proportion?'  
  
'3.4...'  
  
'There's your problem! With a mixture like that, the proportion should be 5.7!'  
  
The two set off working silently, when Mione spoke.  
  
'Did you know that in 12 years, Cordelia's been offered a supermodeling position?'  
  
'Really? Oh... my baby girls are growing up...'  
_  
Hermione shook her head, regaining her senses.  
  
'Hmm... bye!' Cordelia straightened herself up and casually left the dungeons.  
  
'What the hell...'

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**_Ok... that's chapter 2... and by the way, I'm not actually a teacher, I'm a teenage student!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Ok now... I hope you liked this chapter, and bear in mind, I am aware that Cordelia SEEMS like a mary sue, but she's a bitchy bimbo! And Snape has the hots for her! _**

**_-author slaps hand to mouth -  
  
Whoops! Forget I just said that!!!!!  
  
Oh… and THANKYOU to all eight of my reviewers!!!!!! You guys rock!  
  
!c3_**


	3. Shadows of a Future Grim

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Riddles in the Dark

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**Chapter 3 – Silhouettes of a future grim...**  
  
A tall, dark haired woman gracefully walked out to her balcony... looking over her realm...  
  
'A galleon for your thoughts?' the woman turned, and her taller blonde husband entered.  
  
'Our realm is gorgeous... peaceful... the way the world should be...'  
  
'Ah, Phoenix, your dreams of grandeur will one day be heard, but for now, let us be content with what we have in this lifetime, and in this land...'  
  
'I know Dragon, it's just...'  
  
'Yes, Phoenix?'  
  
'I can't feel content with this! Knowing what he did... what he's still doing to me... If I could turn back the clock...'  
  
Dragon took the woman into a hug.  
  
'Don't plague your mind with the thought of him... with thoughts of the pain and trouble that Hirsute caused... Phoenix... clear your mind! Think ahead to what we have, think of the progeny... think of their future!'  
  
'You're right Dragon... I... I just remember that day... the lies... the desecration...'  
  
'Phoenix! It's in the past! With my life, I promised your father I'd protect you, and that I will! Please! Abandon these thoughts, and come... fly with me...' he held out his hand, and Phoenix took it.  
  
In a flash, where they had stood, a Hungarian Horntail and a Phoenix took off on their long flight to freedom.  
  
Louisa woke with a start.  
  
'Phoenix??' she peered into the darkness. Seeing only her sister asleep in their dorm, Louisa crept up, and poured herself a glass of water.  
  
'Phoenix... Mione liked the Phoenix' Louisa curled up by the window, and looked out across the lower grounds.  
  
'Oh Mione... where did you go? I need your comforting voice... the way you used to hug me when I was little... If I had a nightmare... the way you'd let me stay with you... Oh Mione!' Louisa hugged her knees and let her sorrow free.

* * *

Cordelia awoke to find the youngest Riddle triplet curled up by the window, asleep.  
  
'Louisa...' she gently shook the girl awake.  
  
'Don't beat yourself up about Mione... there was noting we could do...'  
  
'How'd you know?' Louisa looked up and blinked.  
  
'I was right?! Whoa!' Cordelia tossed her hair over her shoulder and hugged Louisa.  
  
'Father sent us to Hogwarts for a reason... not only because he himself attended the school but because he thinks Mione is here! He thinks our beautiful middle triplet; Mione Pei-Lin Riddle is here!   
  
'Thanks Cordy... I... had another vision... I think we're close this time...'  
  
'Tell me!'  
  
Louisa quietly explained the woman, Phoenix and Dragon to her sister.  
  
'I know!' Cordelia sprang up.  
  
'It's me and Draco! It's GOTTA be me and Draco! Ooh! Knowing I'm gonna rule the Slytherin Realm with him!'  
  
Louisa looked at her sister.  
  
"No... I don't think so... Mione... is that you???"  
  
(A/N "" marks mean thoughts, '' marks mean speech might changed later though...)

* * *

'Hey Harry!' Ron ran into the common room, where Harry Potter was lazing over a lounge.  
  
'Yeah...'  
  
'Guess what mate? There's a masked ball coming up in 2 weeks!'  
  
'Really?!'  
  
'Yeah! Who you going to ask?'  
  
'Dunno... probably Hermione...'  
  
'OK...'  
  
Hermione announced her entrance by the slam of the portrait hole, and a loud curse. 

'What the -bleep-ing hell is wrong with today?!'

'Hey Mione!'  
  
'Hi... Hermione eyed the two icily.  
  
'What are you two planning?'  
  
'Nothing! Really!' Ron exclaimed.  
  
'Sure...'  
  
Hermione turned for the stairs when she felt two hands grab her.  
  
'Sit!' Harry ordered.  
  
'I don't take orders from-'  
  
'SIT!' Hermione slumped in the seat, and faced Harry.  
  
'What?! This had better be good, cause I have a TON of homework to do! If I want to get top marks in the NEWT examinations I need to-'  
  
'Hermione, as you may or may not know, there is a ball in 2 weeks, and I would appreciate it if you attended with me...'  
  
'Erm... Oh... alright... now can I go and do my Homework?!'  
  
'Fine!' Harry sighed as Hermione turned and ran up to her dorm.   
  
What was she thinking?!

* * *

**Hmm...  
  
The story unfolds...  
  
Oh... and Sorry if i've offended any pro-Harry people... Srsly... I do love the guy... (specially Daniel Radcliffe... -gasp- Bad Ice angel!! -hits self- Bad! Stop thinking naughty thoughts!)  
  
This story was written at at time when my best friend had me at an evil stage (THAT'S RIGHT 1C3 QU3EN!!! IT'S YOUR FAULT!!!!) Ahem... now... back to saner programing...  
  
;o)  
  
]:P  
  
!c3 An93l**


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